Government closes Warm Front as cold front moves in

January 11th, 2013

The Department for Energy and Climate Change announced today that Warm Front, the only Treasury funded programme to insulate the homes of the fuel poor will be closed at the end of next week. The announcement came as meteorologists warned temperatures were likely to plunge as a cold front moves in.

The Government has cut the money received by the fuel poor in England by 26% between 2009 and 2013. The budget for energy efficiency measures for the fuel poor in England has been cut by 44%. This is mostly as a result of the decision to cut the Warm Front programme despite the fact insulation is by far the best way to help households to bring down their energy bills. It is estimated by the Association for the Conservation of Energy that the number of fuel poor households receiving energy efficiency measures in England will fall from 150,000 in 2009 to 100,000 in 2013.

The decision to cut the programme has come despite rising energy bills and the fact the Government is refusing to recycle carbon tax, which goes on all consumer bills, back to households to super-insulate their homes. The Energy Bill Revolution campaign, the biggest fuel poverty alliance ever formed in the UK of over 100 organisations, is calling for carbon tax to be used to end fuel poverty forever. The Government will raise over £2 billion in carbon tax revenue in 2013 with consumers each paying an average of £25 on their electricity bill. By 2020 the Government will raise £4 billion in carbon tax each year with consumers paying an average of £54.

“It is scandalous to cut Warm Front as this is one of the most effective programmes the Government has to tackle fuel poverty. The Government should be ramping it up, not destroying it in the face of rising energy bills. If the Government recycled carbon tax to super-insulate UK homes they could fuel poverty proof over half a million homes a year, saving each one £300 every year. They say they are doing everything they can to bring down energy bills. But this is a simply not true.”